Towel-cabinet.



U. SCHWHVIVIER.

TOWEL CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I5. I9Ir.

`Patented Jim. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET ZI essere, soHwIMMEn., or Los mentes, emronnra.

l Towne-emitir.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application. :iled December 15,1917. Serial No. 207,384.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR SoHwrMMnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a certain new and' useful llmproveinent in Towel-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to a towell cabinet for exposing for use a definite portion of a continuous strip of toweling contained therein, and has especial reference to an improvement in that class of cabinets more particularly shown and described in my co-pending application for patent, renewed J une 5, 1918, Serial Number 239,881.

1n that application and in the' art, the exposed portion of the toweling paid out from a roll takes the form of an elongated loop which extends outside of the cabinet,

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the portion of the toweling next the cabinet being the soiled or -used portion. 1t has been discovered that users of the to-weling frequently take hold of both the, clean and soiled toweling, which in the course ot use, becomes crumpled and hence often clogs the rollers and incapacitates the cabinet.

Une of the main objects of this invention therefore, is to providea cabinet in which but a single stretch of toweling may be con-y tinuously exposed for use, -thus eliminating the liability of grasping both soiled and clean towelin simultaneously.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a sanitary towel cabinet in which the soiled toweling is always kept from contact with the clean toweling, and in which the take-up ofthe used portions of toweling may be edected automatically as the diameter of the roll increases.

'lhese and other objects are accomplished by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specically described in the subjoined specification.

1n the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view showing the toweling operating mechanism.

lFig. 2 is a sectional plan view showin the shelf in the cabinet and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the toweling operating mechanism. i

lla/ly .invention comprises generally a cabinet '1 in which is contained a roll of toweling, a portion of which is' exposed and remains exposed for use as long as the clean toweling is not exhausted, and the p iresentationvof a new length of clean toweling with the concurrent take-up of the used portion is effected by a single lever operable by the user.

In brackets 3, on the door 2, is supported a roller 4, on which a length of toweling 5 is wound. Une end of said roller 4 is provided with a ratchet-wheel 7, with which a pawl 8, is arranged to cooperate to loch the roller against movement, as will appear hereinafter. l n Below the brackets 3, are framesV 9, in

which are journaled :tour rollers 10, 11, 124

and 13, the first and last of which are preferably held in position by a yielding means, 14, to enablethe same to respond to any irregularities in the toweling, that is drawn between said rollers. '1`he rollers 11 and 13, lare provided with danges 11 and 13 respectively to hold the toweling in place. As seen, the rollers 10 and 11 are spaced from the rollers 12 and 13, such provision being made to prevent transfer of moisture or infectious matter deposited on the rollers, 12 and 13, during passage therethrough, to the take-up rollers, 10 and 11, through which the clean toweling is fed.

The door 2 is provided with an opening 15, through which the toweling passes after being drawn between the rollers 10 and 11. Un the front of the door is j ournaled a roller 16, over which the toweling passes and which roller holds the toweling a suicient distance away from the door to permit the user readily to grasp the same. rllhe bottom of the door is provided with an opening 17, in which is'.journaled a roller 18, under which the toweling passes to and between rollers 12 and 13, the loop 19 resulting from the return of the toweling to within the below the bottom of the cabinet sumciently to ahord a free use of the toweling.' 1n thisl manner only a single stretch of toweling is continuously exposed for use.

The toweling 5, after leaving the rollers 12 andi 13, is taken up on a roller 20, journaled in a bracket 21, below said frames.

'lhcjrollers 10 and 11 are respectively provided with intermeshing gears 22 and 23, and the-rollers 12 and 13 are respectively provided with intermeshing gears 24 and.

25, the gears 23 and 24 meshing with an idler gear 26 mounted in the frame and provided to produce a motion of the rollers 12 and 13 reverse to that of the rollers 10 and 11.

The gear 24, is provided with a pinion link 36, ,p1votally connected to the end of toweling increases, so will also its surface -said aforementioned pawl 8. The lever 36,

ispivoted at one end in an extension 37, of said frame 9, and the other end extends out beyond the face of the door 2, to afford a handle 38 for the operator.

The operation of the take-up roller 20, is effected concurrently with the operating movement of the lever 36,' and through 'the medium of a yielding member as a spring belt 39, running over a sheave 40 on the roller 12 and over a sheave 41, on the takeup roller 20, which is also-provided with a ratchet wheel 42, with which a dog 43 cooperates to hold;l the roller 20 against backward movement thus preventing the unwindin of the toweling from the take-up roller.

lhe operation of the device is substantially as follows: i A

As the lever 36 is pressed down, ltengages the link 36', which releases the pawl 8, from the ratchet wheel 7 leaving the supply roller 4, free to revolve. Simultaneously, the arbor 35, is moved to the bottom of the slot 34 in link 33. Thereupon on further downward movement of said lever 36, the link 33 is depressed, causing, through the plate 31, the pawl 30 to engageand operate the ratchet wheel 29, whereby the gear wheel 28 is revolved, and through whose revolution, motion is transmitted to the rollers 10,

11, 12 and 13, through their respective gears.

As the rollers 10 and 11 are revolved, a supply of toweling is drawn from the supply roll 4, and fed through opening, 15, the used toweling being drawn through the opening 17 in the bottom of the door 2, by means of the rollers 12 and 13. Thereby the take-up roller 20 is revolved for'a distance equalto the length of the used toweling as fed. As the diameter of the rolled extent increase proportionably to the accu mulation of toweling, and such increase in surface extent would, with each depression of the lever, require more toweling than that passing through the rollers, 10, 11, l2 and 13, hence it is necessary to provide for regulating the revolution' of the take-up roller proportionably with the feed, and this is accomplished by the spring belt 39, which while suliiciently strong to wind the used toweling upon the roller, will yield or slip for the balance of the downward movement of the handle or operating lever 36.

.mit the door with the mechanism Lacasse The dog 43, falls into place on the ratchet Wheel 42, and retains said roller in position. Upon the return of the lever to normal pcsition, under the tension of a spring 44, the pawl 8 returns to locking position on the ratchet Wheel 7.

On the door 2, is a plurality of strips 45 which is loosely carried a plurality of rods 46 between which and the door 2, the toweling passes, being thereby prevented from contact with the toweling rolled on the take-up roller 20, and from becoming entangled with the rolled up used toweling.

In the cabinet and extending in proximity lto the rollers 11 and 12 is a shelf 47, for receiving and holding any excess length of toweling that may be released from the toweling supply roller 4, by a too strong and quick depression of the lever 38. A portion of this shelf is cut away at an angle to perthereon to be swung open without striking the shelf.

What I claim is:

e 1. A towel cabinet having a door provided with a central opening and an opening in the bottom thereof, a toweling supply roller thereon, a plurality of rollers for drawing and passing the toweling through said cenv tral opening and outside of said door, said toweling passing through the opening in the bottom of said door, sufficient slack being provided to form a loop below the cabinet whereby a single length of toweling is presented for use, a plurality of rollers for returning the used toweling to within the cabinet, the feeding and returning rollers being spaced, means to operate said rollers, a take-up roller for used toweling and a yieldingmeans connecting said take-up rollers with one of said returning rollers to operate same.

2. A towel cabinet having a door provided with a central opening and an opening in the bottom thereof, a toweling supply roller on said door, means to feed the toweling through said central opening and outside of said ldoor, said toweling passing through the opening in the bottom lof said door, suicient slack being provided to form a loop below the cabinet whereby a single length of toweling is presented for usc, means to draw the used toweling into the cabinet, a take-up roller, yielding means connecting `the take-up roller with said means for drawing the toweling into the cabinet and means for operating said feeding and drawing means.

3. A towel cabinet having a door provided with a central opening and an opening in the bottom thereof, a continuous strip of toweling passing through said central opening to the outside of said door and being returned, to the inside of said cabinet lenpth ot toweling, means to feed thetowelingthrough the central opening, means to reto the toweling to the cabinet, a take-up roller and meansv controllable by said returning inns to operate said take-'u roller.

t., lh towel cabinet provided with approximately a central opening and an opening in the bottom thereof, a plurality of oosely supported rods in said cabinet, a strip o f towelin passin through said central opening to t e outsie of said cabinet and being returned to the inside of said cabinet through said opening in the bottom thereof, sucient slack being provided to form a loop e the bottom ot the cabinet, whereby to present for use a single length of tow- -e1ing, a plurality of rollers to `feed the toweling throu h said central openin a plurality of ro ers to draw the towe in into the cabinet, means to operate said rol ers, a take-up roller for used toweling, and a yielding belt connecting one of the said drawing rollers with and operating said take-up roller, said rods {lrovided to keep the returning and used towe 'ngl from contact with the rolled toweling on the take-up roller.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

OSCAR SCHWIMMER. Witnesses:

HENRY E. Saronno, A N'roN GLonrzNnn., 

